This objective will deal to generate strategic knowledge on the effect of climate variability (increasing temperature, CO2 and rainfall) on population dynamics of pests and diseases, cultivar resistance/host plant resistance including life cycle of pathogens/pests, resistance genes, mechanisms, etc.
· ICRISAT and collaborating partners has infrastructure and facilities (laboratory, greenhouse, and field) for undertaking research on the influence of climate change on pests/diseases, which will be utilized to assess the impact of climate change on crop protection.
· The study will involve major pests and diseases of targeted crops (Table 1). We will sample pests/ pathogen for host pathogen interaction study and examine the effect of future climatic drivers (Temperature, CO2, humidity etc) on both host (expression of resistance) as well as pathogen (virulence/aggressiveness).
· Changes in pests and pathogens life cycles (symptom development, reproduction rate, survival etc) will be estimated under projected future climate.
· A set of genotypes with different levels of resistance/susceptibility to the target pests/pathogens will be identified, and their interaction with the environmental factors and the host genotypes will be studied by monitoring plant damage, survival and fecundity etc.
· Studies on expression of resistance /virulence genes under different temperature regimes for different patho-system will be carried out. This will be useful for identification of resistance genes that are stable under high temperature regimes.
· Defense mechanisms during host pathogen interaction (biochemical and molecular changes) under variable climate will be elucidated and the changes will be correlated with expression of resistance to the target pests/pathogens.
· The acquired knowledge will provide tools and methodologies to enhance resistance/tolerance to pests and diseases, improve management options and in developing adaption strategies for climate resilient agriculture.